Cash-for-bail scam: Andhra judges in ACB net

Moving ahead with its probe in the cash-for-bail scam in Andhra Pradesh, the state Anti-Corruption Bureau today arrested two serving judges for their alleged role in the case involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, an accused in the illegal mining case.

Moving ahead with its probe in the cash-for-bail scam in Andhra Pradesh, the state Anti-Corruption Bureau today arrested two serving judges for their alleged role in the case involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, an accused in the illegal mining case.

D Prabhakar Rao, a Family Court-cum-3rd Additional district and sessions judge of Srikakulam, and K Lakshminarasimha Rao, chief judge of city small causes court, were today arrested by the agency from their respective residences in the city.

While Prabhakar Rao was placed under suspension by the Andhra Pradesh High Court last week, Lakshminarasimha Rao was suspended yesterday after the ACB sleuths conducted searches at his house after his name cropped up during interrogation of one of the arrested accused in the case.

Prabhakar Rao is the seventh person and the third serving judge to be netted by the ACB which took over the probe last month on direction of the High Court after the CBI had exposed an alleged 'deal' of Rs 10 crore for granting bail to the mining baron.

Earlier, First Additional Special Judge for CBI cases T Patattabhirama Rao and retired judge T V Chalapathi Rao were arrested for their alleged role in the case.

Both Lakshminarasimha Rao and Prabhakar Rao would be produced in the ACB court later in the day, an ACB official said.

Prabhakar Rao, who worked as Secretary (Legal) in Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission had allegedly contacted T Pattabhirama Rao for facilitating bail to Reddy, an accused in the Oblapuram Mining Company (OMC) case.

The High Court has so far suspended these three judges in connection with the cash-for-bail scam.